Military Aircraft Was Carrying 18 Passengers on Board

BANGKOK—Laos was dealt a major blow after an air force plane crashed on Saturday morning, killing a number of its senior government ministers and officials, including Defense Minister Douangchay Phichit.

The Prime Minister's Office in Laos on Saturday issued a statement confirming that the air force's aircraft AN-74TK300 crashed at 7 a.m. local time in Nadee village in the Paek district of Xiangkhouang province, located around 435...